Lazio boss Maurizio Sarri has admitted that he regrets being so determined to leave his position as Chelsea manager back in 2019.
Sarri spent just one season at Stamford Bridge, winning the Europa League and finishing second in the Carabao Cup, but he struggled to win over Chelsea fans and was often criticized for his preferred style of play.
Sarri led Chelsea to Europa League glory / Michael Regan / Getty Images
Juventus called on Sarri in 2019 and the manager made it very clear to those in charge at Chelsea that he wanted to be released from his contract – something he now admits was a big mistake.
“At Chelsea I made a sensational mistake and wanted to return to Italy at all costs,” Sarri told Sportitalia. [Club director] Marina Granovskaia tried to stop me from leaving Chelsea, but I had this desire to return to Italy.
“Chelsea is a good club. In the years since my departure, they have signed many young players who fit my style of play. I was there for a strange year, where [owner] Roman Abramovich could not enter England. We had an owner who was not present in the area.
“It was a difficult situation and everything was in the hands of Marina, who had 1000 problems to solve. The football aspect was in the hands of us, the staff, because there was no economic power available. Then came Werner, Havertz, Mount, Ziyech – everything fits me and my way of playing. “
A common criticism of Sarri at Chelsea was his perceived favoritism against Jorginho, who followed him from Napoli 2018.
Jorginho became the point of contact for a Chelsea side that many fans thought was too slow, uninspiring and generally quite boring, but the Italian midfielder has now become a favorite for fans at the bridge after some excellent performances under the new boss Thomas Tuchel.
Jorginho has impressed under Tuchel / Visionhaus / Getty Images
There are even suggestions that Jorginho, who was one of the stars of this summer’s Euro 2020, could take part in the competition for the Ballon d’Or this year, and Sarri claimed that such an honor would be well deserved.
“If he wins the European Championships, it is clear that Jorginho would be a challenger,” said Sarri. “He’s a refined player, one who is probably not understood by everyone.
“You have to keep an eye on him and just watch him in the game. He’s so good and intelligent that he makes everything seem simple, that you rarely see him do anything spectacular. This is his greatness.”
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